


This War of Mine

by TheSwordLesbian



Series: The Family Chase [6]
Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Abusive Parents, Chasemarsh Kids, Dating, Established Relationship, F/F, Gen, Legal Drama
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-12
Updated: 2020-10-12
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:40:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26963815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSwordLesbian/pseuds/TheSwordLesbian
Summary: Victoria deals with a stress she'd thought herself and her family would be rid of and then teases her daughter about a date.Note: The abusive parents tag concerns discussions about Victoria's parents, not anything portrayed in the fic itself.
Relationships: Victoria Chase/Kate Marsh
Series: The Family Chase [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1943341
Comments: 16
Kudos: 28





	This War of Mine

**Author's Note:**

> Some shitty parent angst followed by some wholesome parent fluff.

Kate sat on the couch in the living room gently thumbing through a new book she’d picked up today. One of the joys of working on her own schedule was that she had plenty of free time to check out a tea shop or a new bookstore if she wanted. This one had caught her eye on the discount shelf, some sort of alternate retelling of Alice in Wonderland. She had to admit, she was enjoying it so far. She heard the garage door close and looked up to see her wife walking in looking tired.

She smiled at Victoria, “Hey Tori. Long day?” 

Instead of answering, the tall woman just dropped her purse and coat on the floor before kicking off her heels and crawling onto the couch to rest her head in Kate’s lap.

Kate started to sense something was wrong so she closed her book and started carding her fingers through her wife’s hair. “Honey are you okay? Rough day at work?”

Victoria just sighed “I haven't been at work.”

“Well then whe-”

“I just spent the last five hours at my lawyer’s office.” she interrupted.

“Wait what?” Kate was now very concerned. “Tori what’s wrong? What happened?”

She didn’t respond for a moment then after a while she exhaled a long sigh and said, “My parents are suing me.”

“WHAT?!” Kate already deeply disliked her inlaws, for numerous justifiable reasons. But the fact that they were still trying to control their daughter's life even at the age of forty-two just made her blood boil. “Why?? For what possible rea-” a terrifying thought struck her and she turned her wife’s head to look her in the eyes. “Tori… it's not…”

“It’s not about the girls.” she said, beleaguered green eyes staring up at her.

Kate breathed a sigh of relief, thinking back to the heart-wrenching six weeks they spent five years ago when Victoria’s parents tried to take custody of her children under some deeply misguided notion of ‘protecting their legacy’. That she and Victoria were somehow corrupting their children by supporting Maddie and letting her be her truest self. She looked back down at her wife. “So then… what do they want?”

Victoria looked up at Kate staring deep into those loving hazel eyes. “They’re trying to sue me for licensing of the name ‘Chase’… Because of the galleries.”

Kate just stared down at her wife in disbelief. “That’s… completely ridiculous.”

“I know”

“Then why are they doing it?” Kate asked, still stunned at the absolute shamelessness of Victoria’s parents that they would try to take her to court over her name of all things. “They can’t seriously think they’ll win can they?”

The taller woman closed her eyes and curled further into her wife’s lap. “Jealousy probably? I've been doing leagues better than them for a while now.” Victoria sighed again as Kate continued running her fingers through her wife's short blonde hair. “And as far as if they think they can win? At this point I think they’re just grasping at straws.”

“Are you worried?” Kate asked

“A little. I think.” her voice came out so small, none of that haughty self-assuredness that she wore like armor everyday. “But John and the others assure me they can’t win. That their entire campaign boils down to baseless attacks and money-grubbing. He said any judge will see right through them.”

Kate opened her mouth to respond but Victoria continued.

“Still though…” She paused for a bit in thought and Kate could tell she was nearing tears. “I thought I was done with them. After last time and the restraining order, I thought I wouldn’t have to deal with them anymore.”

“Shhh Tori.” She reached down and wrapped her arms around her wife despite the awkward angle. “We’ll keep fighting them as long as we have to. And I’ll be there to support you every step of the way.”

Victoria squeezed her eyes shut to fight back the tears and wrapped her arms around the shorter woman’s waist. “I love you so much Katie.”

Kate pressed a kiss to Victoria’s head. “I love you too Tori.”

After a while Victoria reached up to wipe her eyes with the sleeve of her sweater “Sorry for missing dinner.”

Kate chuckled. “You didn’t miss much. It was just me and Ellie. She’s out in the hammock doing some reading for school.”

Victoria raised an eyebrow and snickered. “She’s outside? It’s raining.”

She shrugged. “She’s under the porch, plus she likes the rain.”

“I guess.” Victoria conceded, then after a moment. “But then wait, where’s Maddie?”

Kate grinned conspiratorially, like she was reveling in a secret she wanted to hide. “She’s on a date.”

Victoria narrowed her eyes. “What’s his name? Where did she meet him?”

“Her name is Ameera.” She tried not to laugh at the deer in the headlights look her wife was giving to her. “And she’s on the soccer team with Ellie.”

The taller woman just laid there stunned looking up at her wife, blinking occasionally. “O-kay…” after a bit more blinking she spoke again. “Katie you’re going to have to clarify for me how our daughter Madeline, the most boy-crazy person I have ever met, is on a date, with a girl.”

This time Kate did laugh. “Apparently she made a very compelling case for herself, or so I’m told.”

“...and?”

Kate laughed again. “Oh I don’t know Tori, I found out second hand from Ellie. Something about she thought Maddie was very pretty and talented, and she knew she’d only ever dated boys but she wanted to ask her anyway to see what Maddie thought, and if at the end of it she decided she wasn’t interested then no hard feelings and they could be friends instead.”

Victoria sat there for a minute, processing all that. “Huh… Well, I have to admire the girl for trying. I wonder how it’s going.”

“Well I don’t think you’ll have to wait long to ask.” Kate said, looking up. “I see headlights in the driveway.”

Victoria joined her wife in staring at the front door. While they watched a pair of silhouettes walk up the stairs, stand there for a second, lean in together, and then one leave and the headlights drive away before the front door unlocked and their daughter walked in with a smile on and noticed the both of them staring.

“Uhh…” She started after a second. “Hi moms?”

They both responded at once.

“Soooo?”  
“How was your date?”

The teen giggled. “Nosey much?”

Victoria scoffed, “We’re your mothers, it’s our job.” 

Maddie rolled her eyes. “Well if you haaaaaaave to know. It was a perfectly nice date, we walked in the park for a bit until it started raining and then she took me to dinner at this greek place then drove me home.”

Kate replied. “So? What do you think? Potential for a second date?”

The young girl sat on the seat across from them, eyes in her lap, and thought to herself for a moment before responding. “I don’t think so. It was a good time, and she’s really sweet, but I don’t think I’m interested in girls in that way.”

Victoria narrowed her eyes and grinned, “But you did kiss her...”

Maddie looked up at her mother, wide-eyed with a blush cascading down her cheeks. “Oh my gosh. _Mama_!”

Victoria snickered at that. “That isn’t a ‘no’ Madeline Chase. Plus the front door is glass, kind of hard to miss that.”

The teen was well and truly flustered, stuttering out a reply. “I-I gave her a goodnight kiss. On the _CHEEK_. Because she deserved it for taking me out on a wonderful date.”

Her mother smiled at her. “I’m sorry Maddie, I’m just teasing you. I’m glad you had a nice night.”

Maddie crossed her arms and turned her head away in a faux pout before seeing Victoria’s coat and bag on the floor and not hung up and put away as she was normally so fastidious about doing. “Mama?” She looked back towards her mother with concern. “Is everything okay?

Victoria gave her a soft smile. “Everything’s fine honey. Just a long day at work.” She hoped it sounded more convincing than it felt.

“Okay.” she said seemingly appeased. “Is Ellie home?”

Kate nodded towards the porch. “She’s out back.”

Maddie smiled at her mothers before she hopped up and practically skipped over to the back door, going to join her sister in the oversized hammock.

Kate looked down at her wife. “You’re not going to tell her?”

Victoria exhaled a long breath. “No. My parents have caused her enough stress to last a lifetime. I can handle this without her or Ellie having to worry.” She reached her hand up to softly touch Kate’s cheek. “Plus… I know I can lean on you when things get hard.”

Kate smiled at her before leaning down to press their lips together. “Always.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed the newest piece of the Chase family story!  
> <3


End file.
